LongLeash Canine

10/03/2022

Just a quick breakdown for anyone that asked about using 'circling' as opposed to 'stop/go' for Loose-leash walking with Moose.

THIS IS NOT THE COMPLETE PROCESS.

This is how I've come to teach a concept I learned from a webinar with Fenzi Dog Sports Academy , I may deviate a little but the core concept is the same - circling.

Why circling? I'm not going to pretend I understand it 100%, but I've seen the difference it makes enough to believe in it. From my point of view, Moose was well able to walk loose-leash using the standard 'stop/go' approach the majority of my clients have success with, but regardless of the amount of generalising I did, in higher arousal environments the stopping was creating something similar to barrier-frustration. This went on to the point where he would play-bow and bark, whenever he remembered if he lunges we'll have to stop, a lot of frustration both ends of the leash! As to be fair he was indeed doing it, but he just made us both look absolutely crazy to any onlookers 🤣

Keeping in mind how much circling is used in equestrian pursuits when breaking in young horses, and how common a zoochotic-behaviour pacing in circles is in animals suffering from neglect/confinement as a coping mechanism for stress/frustration, it doesn't take a lot to piece together why it has this effect in this context.

The process involves a bit of pre-conditioning "this-way!" then circling to get started, and then gradually progressing to environments other than carparks when the need to circle becomes less and less that a one-revolution turn around on the footpath will suffice. I've had massive success back-chaining with it, parking as close as possible to places he normally gets let off and meets other dogs, doing the few metres like this and eventually start parking further and further away.

You eliminate the frustration so that clearer learning can take place, then you identify and use your dog's strongest motivators that you're normally competing against, to your advantage.

23/01/2022

"NEVER, LEAVE THE DOG ON THE COUCH!!"

If you hear a trainer say this, ask for your money back and RUN.

Amazed again to be sent advice given on dealing with working breeds, from a "balanced" trainer, that is centred around the very outdated concept of being the "alpha".

"Never leave the dog on the couch, they must wait in a sit for food, don't allow them to greet visitors", all part of a regimented list of supposedly critical aspects of "gaining control", which will then also apparently avoid any behavioural/reactivity issues as a result....🤭

This is a fundamental misunderstanding of canine behaviour, at such a foundation level, it worries me.

I allow my dogs on the couch, they go through doors ahead of me, they even walk ahead of me when I don't need them to be by my side for whatever reason, NONE of this stuff will ever have any impact on your dog's behaviour, ever. I say this confidently as an owner of a Springer Spaniel and a Hungarian Vizsla that puts the High in High-drive. Have a look at my re-call and heel training videos and tell me where it made a difference if you disagree? 🤷🏻‍♂️

Do they wait to be invited up on the couch? Absolutely. Do they move or get off if you go to sit down? You bet, but these are things I trained for my own convenience and to just avoid any hassle with guests etc (guests they're allowed to greet politely without me worrying about jumping or biting).

No breed, or individual dog NEEDS "discipline", or boundaries etc, thinking so is just a reflection of the trainer's capabilities/knowledge, at any level.

19/01/2022

Canine training instructor Roy Long said he was shocked to hear from a client whose young children were encouraged to stand “toe-to-toe” with a pet ...

13/01/2022

Just a video to accompany the below post on Loose-Leash Walking over traditional competition style Heel, as your basis for addressing leash-pulling issues.

13/01/2022

As dog trainers, one of our most common complaints from owners is pulling on the leash. It sours the relationship, it makes walks seem like a chore and neither end of the leash enjoys it.

What I wish I realised sooner, is that chasing the idea of a dog walking perfectly by your side, in a competitive obedience style heel, is pointless.

Is it achievable? Absolutely, but the first thing you need to accept is that to achieve this; you need to put in so much work that your dog sees you, and heeling for YOU (not them), as more rewarding/beneficial than the entire outside world, fox-poo n' all. Anyone of my clients reading this who have worked with me on 'conflicting motivators' such as in Re-call, are definitely laughing at the thought of this 😂.

So difficulty aside, what's the purpose? Who does this benefit? Your shoulder is definitely gonna be thanking you, and your ego will be through the roof with looks of envy on the neighbours faces, but what does your dog get out of it? More importantly, what are they missing out on?

They're getting a food reward now and then (I would hope!) for heeling for you, but only a fraction of the mental stimulation that they would get engaging with their environment. Even if you don't care about what the dog gets out of it, you should care about what value for your time/energy you're getting in terms of "tiring out" the dog, right? The reality is, your dog is getting minimal mental AND physical stimulation from walking around like this, or you even aiming or intending to achieve this with each walk.

Instead of Heel training, I encourage Loose-Leash Walking as a foundation and then the trained heel as something we prove against distractions over short distances so that it's practical when we NEED it (passing people/dogs/children etc in narrow spaces where you're dog can't interact with them for one reason or another). Loose-Leash isn't permissive, it's simply acknowledging how unnatural it is for a dog to walk like this. We resolve pulling and lunging specifically as opposed to simply 'walking ahead', and the results are incredible.

Very soon after changing my outlook on this, I noticed that when you let go of the need and desire for that perfect heel, you find they are more than happy to 'offer' it 90% of the time anyway! Yes they go ahead, or stop to sniff, or go off to the side/behind every 10/15/20 steps, but they are simply making use of the leash that I'm giving them, instead of fighting for the entire walk to get away from me because they can't interact with ANYTHING!

My clients know by now that 20 minutes of olfactory stimulation (sniffing) is the same, in terms of 'tiring out' the dog, as a one-hour walk.

Why wouldn't you want to get 3-4 of these into the same one-hour walk?

Walks are not an exercise in "who's in charge", but its not 100% THEIR walk either (we need to be safe and practical at the same time), these are unhealthy extremes. But there is a happy compromise in the middle, and it looks a lot more like what you originally had in mind than you think!

05/01/2022

Canine adolescence.

Yes, unfortunately, it exists. At around 6-8 months, intact dogs (male and female) enter into adolescence, which can be a testing time for even experience owners and an absolute nightmare for first-time dog owners.

I don't have any data to support this; but I wouldn't be surprised if 6-10 months was the most common age for dogs to be surrendered to rescues by familys overwhelmed with what they've taken on.

I can't speak for my colleagues, but the vast majority of my enquiries are regarding dogs at this age. Particularly working breeds. The call often involves- "My Collie, ###X, 7 months, has just gone completely off the wall all of a sudden", "Seems like she's ignoring you all of a sudden? Resumed doing things you felt were completely resolved?", I get a "YES!!" as if I'm telepathic, but the reality is that this is a phase all dogs will go through up until around 14-18 months.

So what can we do?

The most important thing we can do, is accept it and take it into account for these few months.

I would absolutely up training in any areas concerned, even stripping them back to absolute basics. Around this age we had to revisit Name-call with Moose, as everything other than us was suddenly so much more interesting/engaging when out and about, something this simple was a massive lifeline that carried us through to the big sleepy slob we have now.

There are a lot of hormones surging during this time and a big increase in energy levels, if you haven't looked into routine/enrichment before now I would strongly recommend it. Diversifying your dog's routine might be exactly what's needed to sail through this period.
The most common issues I find drives people to frustration during this phase are an increase or sudden reappearance of Attention-seeking behaviours (play-biting, jumping up etc), as well as various forms of entertaining themselves (destructive chewing, foraging in bins etc). If you start to look at your dog's need for physical and mental stimulation throughout the day in the same way we look at their need to go to the toilet by pre-emptively facilitating it, we don't leave room for these issues to occur in the first place.

I've helped many clients through this disheartening stage that were at the point of considering rehoming/surrendering, but once they make it through it with the right support and understanding of their dog, they look back and feel silly at the thought of it. This is one of our biggest motivations as a community of trainers/consultants, to help people avoid this often unnecessary outcome.

Big thank you to Aoife Horgan and her lovely Boxer, Bailey, for "modelling" exactly what kind of behaviour I'm talking about!

05/01/2022

Proving Re-call in 'real world' environments.

I'm sure most of my clients are sick of me talking about "training context vs real world", but this is what I mean.

I simply could not achieve this if it wasn't for the time put in first teaching the cue indoors, then progressing to out in the garden, then isolating conflicting motivators (particular 'triggers' he struggles to Re-call against), and only then testing it out with the safety of a 15m leash, before ever EXPECTING it to work in reality, as that expectation can only be based off what's achieved in training. If he repeatedly struggled with one particular stimulus in this exercise, I would then go back to my training sessions with this in mind to further work on, by replicating the distraction/intensity at home.

Every time he comes back and is rewarded, a token goes in the 'jar' for doing so. Every time he doesn't come back and sees the reward in playing with the dog, person etc, a token goes in the jar for not coming back. We work like this to safeguard the progress we've made in the training sessions we've struggled to make time for all week.

***Only allow your dog off-leash in places where allowed. This beach is covered under the 2011 Cork County Council by-law on the control of dogs on beaches***

03/01/2022

We're back taking bookings from WEDNESDAY JANUARY 5TH 2022

100% Force-free, science backed methods. Qualified, insured and vet-recommended . Check out testimonials from previous clients on our website www.longleashcanine.com

One-to-one canine training instruction in your own home/garden. Tailored behaviour modification plans and follow-up sessions to help you achieve the relationship you want with your dog or new puppy.

Saturday/Sunday appointments available.

10/12/2021

A lot of clients are amazed that you DON'T need to be the 'alpha', or even that there is no 'alpha' in the sense that ratings-driven dog training TV shows would have you believe.

It's a human tendency for how we train or teach to be a retaliatory or "take that!" approach by default. We need to be proactive as opposed to reactive.

You're just compromising the relationship you have with your dog. Working force/aversive-free does take longer and it does involve going out of your way and setting aside time as opposed to just "correcting" the behaviour in the moment, but you keep your bond with your dog intact.

They come back to you when called because they understand, thanks to you taking the time to communicate it to them, that doing so is more rewarding/beneficial than continuing to play with the other dogs.

Would you really want to save time if it means your dog's motivation in coming back to you relies on the fear of what will happen if they don't come back?

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Trainers who use prong, shock, and choke chains to work with your dog and who use physical force and verbal corrections (EVEN IF THEY SAY THEY ARE ACTING LIKE THE DOG'S "MOTHER") are uneducated, harmful and bullying your dog. Anyone can get results by intimidation. And yes, they are A-HOLES.

01/12/2021

One for everyone that relies on Sniffaris!

29/11/2021